DECISION

PROMULGATING THE REGULATION ON ANIMAL EPIDEMIC-FREE ZONES AND ESTABLISHMENTS

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Pursuant to the Governments Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP of January 3, 2008, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;
Pursuant to the April 29, 2004 Ordinance on Animal Health:
Pursuant to the Governments Decree No. 33/2005/ND-CP of March 15, 2005, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Ordinance on Animal Health;
At the proposal of the Director of the Animal Health Department,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To promulgate together with this Decision the Regulation on animal epidemic-free zones and establishments.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in CONG BAO and replaces the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministers Decision No. 62/2002/QD-BNN of July 11, 2002, promulgated together with the Regulation on animal epidemic-free zones and establishments.

Article 3. The directors of the Office, the Animal Health Department and provincial/ municipal Agriculture and Rural Development Services, heads of concerned units, and concerned organizations and individuals shall implement this Decision.

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FOR THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
VICE MINISTER




Bui Ba Bong

REGULATION

ON ANIMAL EPIDEMIC-FREE ZONES AND ESTABLISHMENTS
(Promulgated together with the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministers Decision No. 66/2008/QD-BNN of Max 26, 2008)

Chapter 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. Scope of regulation

This Regulation provides for veterinary conditions for epidemic-free zones and establish-ments, procedures for registering and recognizing epidemic-free zones and establishments, and responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals for veterinary activities in epidemic-free zones and establishments.

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b/ Animals and animal products under this Regulation are those defined in Clauses 1 and 2, Article 3 of the Animal Health Ordinance, except for amphibian species, fishes, crustacean, mollusk, aquatic mammals and other aquatic species.

2. Subjects of application

This Regulation applies to state agencies and domestic and overseas organizations and individuals involved in activities related to cattle and poultry raising; production of and trading in animal feeds and veterinary medicines; animal trading and slaughtering; processing of and trading in animals and animal products; and transportation of animals and animal products in epidemic-free zones and establishments.

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

1. Epidemic-free zone means a territory (consisting of one or more districts; or one or more provinces) where no epidemic case occurs in the duration prescribed for each or many diseases and where veterinary activities are capable of controlling epidemics, the trading in and transportation of animals and animal products, and veterinary hygiene for slaughter. The origin of animals and animal products must be controlled in epidemic-free zones and establishments.

2. Epidemic-free establishment means a cattle or poultry raising establishment (farm, enterprise) or a commune or ward where no epidemic case occurs in the duration prescribed for each disease and where veterinary activities are capable of controlling epidemics and the delivery and receipt of animals and animal products.

3. Buffer area means the area adjacent to an epidemic-free zone. A buffer area has a radius of 10 km measured from the circumference of the epidemic-free zone for the foot- and-mouth disease, 5 km for pig cholera, 3 km for avian influenza and Newcastle disease, and 1 km for other diseases.

The buffer area of an epidemic-free establishment has a radius of 5 km measured from the circumference of the epidemic-free establishment for the foot-and-mouth disease, 3 km for pig cholera, 2 km for avian influenza and Newcastle disease, and 0.5 km for other diseases.

4. Epidemic focus means a place where occurs a dangerous infectious disease in animals which is on the list of diseases to be declared epidemic or the list of dangerous animal diseases.

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6. Veterinary hygiene conditions means requirements and standards on locations and positions of breeding farms; breeding and storage facilities, air, water and the environment; animal breeds and feeds; breeding devices and wastes according to the Slates regulations.

Chapter 2

VETERINARY CONDITIONS ON EPIDEMIC-FREE ZONES OR ESTABLISHMENTS

Article 3. Veterinary hygiene conditions on epidemic-free zones or establishments

1. Safety conditions on epidemic-free zones or establishments are prescribed as follows:

a/ For the foot-and-mouth disease: No epidemic occurs for at least 12 months from the death or culling of the last infected animal or after two years from the recovery of the last infected animal:

b/ For pig cholera: No epidemic occurs for at least 40 days from the compulsory culling or slaughter of the last infected animal or after six months from the death or recovery of the last infected animal;

c/ For avian influenza: No epidemic occurs for at least 1 year from the culling or death of the last infected animal;

d/ For rabies: No epidemic occurs for at least 24 months from the death or culling of the last infected animal; to strictly observe Articles 6, 7 and 8, Chapter II - Rabies Prevention and Control, of the Governments Decree No. 05/2007/ND-CP of January 9, 2007, on prevention and control of rabies in animals, such as: 100% of households register for dog keeping with commune-level Peoples Committees. 100% of dogs receive vaccination, the protective immunity, rate reaches over 80% upon post-vaccination examination of immunity, owners must chain or keep dogs meet requirements on veterinary hygiene and environmental sanitation, and have the dogs serological tested to ensure that they are free from rabies virus (sample rates of serological testing in Appendix 6 - not printed herein);

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e/ For the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) of high toxin category: No epidemic occurs for at least 6 months from the death or culling of the last infected animal; after 1 year from the recovery of the last infected animal (serological tests show negative results, sample rates of serological testing in Appendix 6 - not printed herein);

g/ For other diseases (Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Aujeszky, Gumboro and Marek): No epidemic occurs for at least 6 months from the death or culling of the last infected animal; after 1 year from the recovery of the last infected animal (serological tests show negative results, sample rates of serological testing in Appendix 6 - not printed herein).

2. Other diseases on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments list of diseases to be declared epidemic may occur, but in a sporadic manner, and do not develop into epidemics, and infected animals are promptly treated according to regulations.

3. To fully meet veterinary requirements under this Regulation on vaccination, disease testing, quarantine, examination of slaughtering hygiene, processing and trading in animals, animal products and animal breeds, and epidemic reporting.

4. To fully satisfy veterinary hygiene conditions according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regulations and the Animal Health Departments current guidance lor establishments involved in veterinary activities specified in Clause 3, Article i of this Regulation.

Article 4. Provisions on epidemic reporting

For epidemic-free zones being provinces, cities, districts or towns and epidemic-free establishments being communes or wards:

a/ Animal raising or slaughtering organizations and individuals in villages, communes, wards and townships shall make written records on the situation of their animal raising and slaughter, and epidemics. When detecting animals sick or dying of suspected infection of contagious disease, they shall promptly report to the commune- or ward-level animal health body or the local animal health agency and administration and may not transport, sell, slaughter or circulate them on the market.

When the outbreak of an epidemic free-registered disease or a dangerous infectious disease such as the foot-and-mouth disease, pig cholera and avian influenza occurs, to promptly report to the commune or district health animal station every two days under the extraordinary reporting regime. When no epidemic occurs, to report on dangerous diseases such as the foot-and-mouth disease, pig cholera and avian influenza every seven days under the regular reporting regime;

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2. For epidemic-free establishments being animal raising farms

a/ Small-scale animal raising farms in communes shall directly report on epidemics to commune-level animal health bodies;

b/ Private animal raising farms or enterprises of medium- or larger size shall directly report on epidemics to district animal health stations;

c/ Provincially run animal raising farms shall directly report on epidemics to provincial Animal Health Sub-Departments;

d/ Centrally run breeding animal farms shall directly report on epidemics to regional animal health agencies and the Animal Health Department.

3. Commune animal health bodies and animal health agencies which are notified of epidemics shall promptly verify therefor and, when necessary, take samples for testing on their own or send them out for testing. When suspecting the infection of the foot-and-mouth disease, pig cholera, avian influenza, Newcastle disease or an epidemic-free registered disease, to promptly report it to a superior animal health agency.

Article 5. Provisions on vaccination

1. Vaccination against each disease and for each species in epidemic-free zones or establishments must comply with the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry’s Decision No. 63/2005/QD-BNN of October 13, 2005. Vaccination against avian influenza must comply with vaccination regime under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments strategy on annual vaccination against avian influenza.

2. The rate of vaccination against epidemic free-registered diseases must reach over 90% of the total animal flock or herd and 100% of animals subject to vaccination.

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4. For such dangerous diseases as the foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, pig cholera and Newcastle, post-vaccination supervision must be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination.

Article 6. Provisions on animal quarantine

1. To tightly control the transportation of animals and animal products, especially for those imported into epidemic-free zones or establishments, specifically:

a/ Animals and animal products brought into epidemic-free zones or establishments must come from zones or establishments recognized to be epidemic-free and have certificates of at-source quarantine issued by a competent animal health agency;

b/ Animals must be kept in isolation areas for between 15-30 days depending on each disease and species before being mixed with the flock or herd.

2. In case of preventing an epidemic from spreading into epidemic-free zones or establishments, provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Services may propose provincial Peoples Committees to set up animal quarantine checkpoints on trunk roads in buffer areas.

3. Quarantine certificates shall be granted only to animals and animal products taken from epidemic-free zones or establishments or establishments certified by a local animal health agency to be epidemic-free.

Article 7. Provisions on inspection of veterinary hygiene and animal slaughter

1. Animal raising or slaughtering establishments, breeding animals, animal feeds and water must be examined twice a year and must satisfy technical regulations or national standards on veterinary hygiene.

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3. The trading in animals and animal products in epidemic-free zones must be put under strict control to ensure that only animals and animal products meeting veterinary hygiene requirements are circulated and traded.

Article 8. Provisions on diagnosis and testing

1. To conduct surveys and evaluations on serology and the prevalence of virus for epidemic free-registered diseases and diseases transmittable to humans.

2. When animals fall sick or die of suspected infection with dangerous disease, they must undergo a diagnosis and/or testing by animal health agencies which shall issue diagnosis result slips together with epidemic reports.

3. To examine and evaluate the responsive immunity against diseases of vaccinated animals and conduct serological testing for bacterial diseases such as the foot-and-mouth disease, pig cholera, leptospira, brucellosis, tuberculosis, salmonellosis and chronic respiratory disease (CRD) (under the provisions in Appendix 6, not printed herein) before recognizing epidemic-free zones or establishments. To conduct regular diagnosis and examination as assigned or decentralized by the Animal Health Department.

4. To protect epidemic-free zones and establishments:

a/ To take measures to prevent virus from spreading into epidemic free-recognized zones or establishments by such means as wind, water source, transportation of animals and animal products and travel of humans and traffic.

b/ To conduct regular serological tests (under the provisions in Appendix 6, not printed herein)

Article 9. Provisions on disposal of animals infected with contagious disease

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To dispose of animals infected with pig cholera as follows:

a/ Pigs weighing < 20 kg must be buried or burnt:

b/ Pigs weighing > 20 kg must be slaughtered and meat may be used as food after being boiled. Viscera and other parts must be destroyed.

3. To dispose of poultry infected with avian influenza as follows:

To cull the entire flock when detecting the disease. Protection devices must be used to prevent epidemic outbreaks and transmission to humans.

4. To conduct compulsory culling or slaughter of animals infected with other diseases under the guidance and supervision of animal health agencies suitable to each disease according to the animal health law.

5. To destroy all cattle and poultry which die of other infectious diseases.

Chapter 3

PROCEDURES FOR REGISTERING AND RECOGNIZING EPIDEMIC-FREE ZONES AND ESTABLISHMENTS

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Presidents of district-level Peoples Committees, presidents of commune-level Peoples Committees and owners of animal raising establishments registering for building epidemic-free zones or establishments shall compile a registration dossier which comprises:

1. An application for registration of an epidemic-free zone or establishment (made according to the forms in Appendices 4a and 4b, not printed herein);

2. A proposal on conditions of the epidemic-free zone or establishment (made according to the forms in Appendices 1a and 1b, not printed herein), covering the following contents:

a/ A report prescribing the location, natural geography and animal raising characteristics of the epidemic-free zone or establishment;

b/ Veterinary activities in the epidemic-free zone or establishment.

A separate proposal should be made for each epidemic-free zone or establishment.

Article 11. Places for registering epidemic-free zones or establishments and registration time limit

1. District-level Peoples Committees and animal raising establishments registering for building epidemic-free zones or establishments shall send application dossiers prescribed in Article 10 of this Regulation to provincial-level Animal Heath Sub-Departments.

2. Within 15 days from the receipt of valid dossiers, provincial-level Animal Health Sub-Departments shall work with district-level Peoples Committees and animal raising establishments to formulate projects to build epidemic-free zones or establishments.

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Localities and animal raising establishments registering for recognition of epidemic-free zones or establishments shall carry out the following procedures:

1. To compile a registration dossier, comprising:

a/ An application for appraisal (made according to the forms in Appendices 2a and 2b, not printed herein);

b/ A proposal on conditions of the built epidemic-free zone or establishment.

2. To submit the registration dossier to the Animal Health Department.

Within 15 days from the receipt of valid dossiers, the Animal Health Department shall appraise the conditions of the concerned epidemic-free zone or establishment and notify the appraisal results.

When the conditions are fully met, competent agencies shall grant certificates of epidemic-free zones or establishments to concerned localities according to Article 15 of this Regulation.

When the appraisal concludes that conditions for epidemic-free zones or establishments are not met, concerned localities and establishments may request re-appraisal after improving unsatisfactory contents in the previous appraisal.

Article 13. Setting up of appraisal teams

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2. Members of an appraisal team shall be decided by the director of the Animal Health Department, comprising officers of units of veterinary expertise relating to the to-be-appraised contents.

Article 14. Tasks of an appraisal team

1. To examine conditions of epidemic-free zones or establishments applying for recognition.

2. To evaluate the situation of epidemics, transportation of cattle within the zones as well as export or import thereof with, other localities or countries

3. To determine the capability of agencies responsible for epidemic-free zones or establishments.

4. To make appraisal reports and proposals at one of the following levels:

a/ Level A: Inspected contents of epidemic-free zones or establishments fully meet the standards, with the appraisal score reaching 70-100 points. The recognition of epidemic-free zones or establishments is proposed;

b/ Level B: Inspected contents do not fully meet the standards, with the appraisal score reaching 50-69 points. Completion of contents requested by the appraisal team is required before the reappraisal;

c/ Level C: Inspected contents do not meet the standards, with the appraisal score reaching less than 50 points. Continued development of epidemic-free zones or establishments is required.

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Based on appraisal teams reports, the Animal Health Department shall consider and grant certificates of recognition of epidemic-free zones or establishments to eligible zones or establishments.

Article 16. Management of epidemic-free zones and establishments

1. A certificate of recognition of an epidemic-free zone or establishment is valid for 2 years from die date of issuance for the foot-and-mouth disease and pig cholera; 1 year for the porcine reproductive and respirator) syndrome (PRRS). Newcastle, duck cholera, gumboro. chronic respiratory disease (CRD) and salmonellosis, and 6 months for avian influenza. The Animal Health Department shall notify provinces and cities nationwide of the recognition thereof.

Two months before the expiration of such certificate, the concerned unit shall send an application for re-appraisal to the Animal Health Department. Competent agencies may withdraw certificates of recognition if epidemic free-recognized zones or establishments fail to meet prescribed conditions in the duration of recognition

2. The Animal Health Department shall reappraise epidemic-free zones or establishments within 15 days after receiving an application for reappraisal, regarding the following contents:

a/ Veterinary hygiene conditions of animal-raising establishments;

b/ Serological testing for epidemic free-registered diseases and those transmittable to humans;

c/ Examination of vaccination, quarantine and slaughter control.

Chapter 4

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Article 17. Responsibilities of animal health state management agencies for epidemic-free zones and establishments

1. The Animal Health Department shall:

a/ Guide and direct provincial Animal Health Sub-Departments in building and managing epidemic-free zones or establishments:

b/ Appraise epidemic-free zones or establishments;

c/ Issue decisions on the recognition of epidemic-free zones or establishments;

d/ Supervise, examine and inspect epidemic-free zones or establishments.

2. Provincial-level Agriculture and Rural Development Services shall:

a/ Submit plans on building local epidemic-free zones or establishments to Peoples Committees of provinces and centrally run cities;

b/ Fund veterinary and other activities in epidemic-free zones or establishments.

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a/ Assist district-level Peoples Committees and animal raising establishments in compiling application dossiers, coordinate with concerned local agencies and animal raising establishments in building and managing epidemic-free zones or establishments, and implement technical-related contents falling under their competence;

b/ Set up appraisal teams and propose the Animal Health Department to recognize epidemic-free establishments as assigned by the Animal Health Department;

c/ Supervise, examine and inspect the observance of veterinary hygiene requirements by epidemic-free zones and establishments.

3. Units which are assigned by the Animal Health Department to appraise and test epidemic-free zones or establishments shall take responsibility before law for their conclusions.

Article 18. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals engaged in animal raising and veterinary activities in epidemic-free zones or establishments

1. Establishments raising and slaughtering animals, processing animal feeds and trading in animals and animal products in epidemic-free zones or establishments shall comply with the animal health law concerning epidemic-free zones and establishments.

2. Organizations and individuals from other zones involved in activities related to epidemic-free zones or establishments shall comply with regulations applicable to epidemic-free zones or establishments.

FOR THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
VICE MINISTER




Bui Ba Bong

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